drifterpediafandomcom-20200213-history
Gilead
"It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be." --Isaac Asimov Gilead In the old days, before the Hubs were networked by Magerails and Hypergates in the middle part of the last century and especially before the first incarnations of interdimensional quantum computing networks that would come to be known as Driftnet, Gilead was a thriving, low-tech, relatively high-magic community of mostly short-range Human Drifters, native to the worlds surrounding Gilead but never venturing far from their grand project, the patchwork, often contradictory entity that is Gilead. Gilead is located across a large number of crosscutting dimensions, many of which containing unusual numbers of additional doorways and thinnys to worlds which were never colonized as part of Gilead. With the introduction of networked hubs, the low-tech culture of Gilead is rapidly being abandoned for the flashing lights and consumerism, exemplifying the general cultural struggle within Drifter society of Gadian-style ideological societies and"Hondo-style" individualistic consumerism. Many governments of Gilead were historically very anti-technology and anti-drifter in general, identifying more closely with the residents of their own multi-planar society than the drifter antidiaspora as a whole. Attempts by capitalist Drifter's to settle, extract resources, and industrialize elements near Gilead in the past have occasionally provoked military conflicts. The most recent of these conflicts, the so-called Spice Wars were fought primarily over the rights of foreigners to trade in spice and other Drifter narcotics in Gilead marketplaces, ended almost 40 years ago in a decisive Drifter victory. Many polities in and around the Drift remain autocratic regimes appointed and supported by Drifter businesses after the war. Politically, modern Gilead remains a sprawling interlocking network of kingdoms, baronies, religious orders, independent dimensions, colonies, and nation-states. It is still not unusual for two or several districts of the city to enter outright war with each other. Private insurers engage in negotiations with local political rulers as they would with other insurers. The richest districts in Gilead, almost exclusively owned by foreigners, are walled mega-cities in constant fear of potential unrest just outside, including a number of Soviet-supported communist projects. The following is an incomplete list of districts and locations in Gilead. Kingdoms Corwin Mageocracy A powerful, large, relatively decentralized polity where political institutions are primarily filled by wizards and sorcerers in the form of semi-independent city-states and surrounding territories across a series of (primarily) extremely hazardous dimensions. Nominally ruled by the so-called Wizard-King of the Corwin Mageocracy, in recent years the influence of the inter dimensional Mages Guild as all but overwhelmed the King's political power and decision making process. * Corwin City ** Red Tower ** Gold Tower ** Purple Tower ** Royal Hall ** The Sanctum ** Magerail * Magdeline's Parrish ** Temple of St. Hrothlar ** Witch-home * Godiva ** Summoning Stones ** Tower of Glass Palandril Kingdom of Lud Outer Baronies Republics Agora Vincinni Inner Baronies Communist Anarchist Hesperus Mining Colony A sprawling, subterranean facility built and constructed by the Hesperus Mining Corporation. The facility is built in a dimension which, while accessible to the residents of Gilead, was never within their technological capacity to colonize. In fact, it was often regarded as a plane similar to Hell, owing to its generally unpleasant appearance, unbreathable atmosphere, and native wildlife. The facility is currently home to about 400 Drifter employees, with the more dangerous mining jobs generally performed by low-skilled Gilead natives and even prison work-brigades negotiated for with the various Kings, Dukes, and other dungeon-keepers. * Hesperus Main Office * Hesperus Residential Housing * Snowball's Chance Tavern * Hesperus Forge * Dwarftown * Minetown * The Wastes Freetown A walled, Hondo-style technological anarchist settlement. Emblematic of many similar, smaller districts. * Security Fence * Public Bunker Network * Main Barracks * Market Street * Freetown College See Also * Drifter Hubs